Indigenous Justice

Hundreds of protestors gathered at the steps of the Colorado State Capitol to protest Columbus Day and called to abolish the holiday. The protest was about the historical conquest of North America by Europeans, and to call attention to the losses suffered by the Native American peoples and their cultures.

Lent comes to us providentially to reawaken us, to shake us from our lethargy.  - Pope Francis 

My friend Bush is a kind man with intense focus, only broken by the odd joke and corresponding side laugh. He is Indigenous, a survivor of residential schools, and has a history of homelessness. I first met Bush and his partner at a permanent supportive housing apartment where I was working night-shift. His intense focus made interactions awkward at times, only because I was an awkward young punk to begin with. He later joined a bible study I was hosting. This gave us lots to talk about as he was serious about his faith in God. 

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. - 1 John 4:7 

The opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference - Elie Wiesel

I heard this quote a few years ago and kept it in my back pocket. It rears its ugly head often; in my life, in relationships, in the news about ignored human rights/ land rights/ what else rights, another murdered Indigenous girl, more newcomers struggling to resettle because of a lack of resources, oh, the list goes on. It’s been so in my face lately. Allow me to share an anecdote.

“17.2 million people leaving their homes because of climate disasters is not a change.” This was a sign I saw as I first stepped off the metro in Madrid, Spain in early December. I had just arrived for the COP25 (Conference of the Parties), the global climate negotiations conference hosted by the United Nations. As I walked out of the metro to the conference center, more signs lined the hallway with startling statistics, many of which I had heard before. However, in the week ahead these statistics would become real people with real stories. 

To trust God in the light is nothing, but trust him in the dark, that is faith.  - C.H. Spurgon 

Advent is a journey towards Bethlehem.  May we let ourselves be drawn by the light of God made man.  - Pope Francis 

Fire Kills Workers in India

A fire broke out at a factory in India's capital New Delhi early on Sunday morning. At least 43 people have been reported dead. Many of the victims were asleep in beds in the factory, resting between shifts, when the fire began. Most of the victims were Muslim migrant workers who came from the Eastern state of Bihar, earning as little as $2.10 a day making a variety of garments.

Over the years, I have marched in the Denver, Colorado Four Directions All Nation March where the marchers step off from four directions and rally at the Colorado State Capitol.  One might ask why do Indigenous people march in Canada and America? 

First, regarding participating in a protest march, I want to encourage non-violent political movements, like those associated with leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi.